The need for compression to facilitate recording of a digital video signal on relatively narrow-band media, such as a compact disc (CD), has been recognized. In a system proposed by Takahashi et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,401, a digital video signal is encoded using differential pulse code modulation (DPCM) for recording on a digital audio disc. In the known system, luminance (Y) and chrominance (R-Y, B-Y) components of a video frame are separately compressed using DPCM. A circuit divides the components into picture element data groups of a specific number of rows or columns which are adjacent on a screen. A header signal is provided having a synchronizing signal, a picture mode identification signal and a picture information quantity identification code. The header signal is added to the beginning position of each of the divided picture element data groups to produce a digital video output signal having a signal format in which the digital luminance, the two kinds of digital color difference signal and the header signal are time sequentially multiplexed and recorded.
In an example of the Takahashi et al. system still frames of digital video are recorded and updated at a rate of about four seconds per frame. The division of the compressed data into groups of lines with each group containing complete color information provides a psuedo-motion effect in that the line groups may be sequentially updated while displaying the previous frame thereby providing a partially moving picture.